Kool Aid

My grip revelation came when I stopped trying to get my support hand high like Vogel, and instead worked on getting better contact down the grip with the heal of my support hand slightly behind the grip, like Stoeger. I get better control at speed and fewer uncalled mikes. People frequently compliment me on my grip, saying my gun barely moves in recoil, even with 40 major.

Just hit 11,000 rounds of Bayou 124g and 147g reloads through my P320 Max purchased a year ago. I installed the TSA disconnector and Gray Guns trigger kit at around 300 rounds, and I've had no issues with the gun. I do case gauge all of my reloads. Most rounds were fired with the factory 12lb recoil spring or ISMI 13lb spring that Springer Precision sells. This includes 20 USPSA matches and lots of structured training working toward M class in CO. The Max/Legion is still ubiquitous at the matches I attend. Without the TSA disconnector, I could get the striker to drop with the slide pulled back about 1/8 of an inch. The TSA disconnector cuts that distance to less than half. I'm not sure if it is technically out of battery at that point because the barrel still visually appears to be locked up; it won't budge when I push down on it. The barrel doesn't start to drop below the hood of the slide until after the slide moves about 1/8" back on the frame rails. I've never been able to get the striker to drop when the barrel is visually unlocked from the slide even the slightest amount. I'm not here to argue what is technically locked or unlocked for a P320, just sharing my experience and observations based on the thread topic.

Ltd A: Typical week is 4 dry fire sessions and one live fire session of 200 rounds of drills. Two matches a month on average. Been at this pace a couple years and used Ben's training principles, even before reading his books.I stagnated in B for a while concentrating too hard on perfect sight pictures in dry fire. Started focusing on pure speed and made A shortly after.

I've had my vest coverage checked at a stage in every major match, including nationals. Some folks just pull their pants up and tighten their belts for the test, then go back to low riding for the rest of the match.

A third of the Classifier is shot at 15 to 20 yards, and the longer sight radius helps here. Also, a 5" barrel more easily makes power factor, so there's less drama at the chrono at major matches.

I come up with my own base plan, but sometimes mooch small segments I notice others doing during the walk through. Oddly enough, I gaffle more stage tidbits from Production shooters than from my fellow Limited shooters.

Computer duster gas is another way to go for plastic slide guns like the Tokyo Marui Hi Capa, the holy grail of airsoft pistols. Mine looks and functions like a clone of an STI Eagle, and the DP Ice magwel from my Edge mounts right up to it. I planned to upgrade my Hi Capa with a metal slide to run propane, but have been pleasantly surprised with how well it runs on a variety of cheap electronics duster gasses from Office Max and Walmart. Duster gas is cheap and less obnoxious than propane for indoor shooting. Velocities are lower than propane, but its plenty snappy and accurate for mocking up classifier and mini stages indoors.

A RWR while moving can be practiced in dry fire to get an idea of where it may or may not be an advantage in a match. Its most beneficial on stages designed to put you at slide lock while engaging a dissapearing target, or where you'd otherwise have to drop a prop like the ubiquitous "baby" or dummy in the middle of a reload. My RWR is roughly 0.5 seconds slower than my slidelock reload when I'm not fumbling the mag into my pocket. I've used the moving RWR with great success in field stages, and have confirmed how much movement is necessary for it to pay off in dry fire. Nobody but the SO saw me RWR on the move the last time I used it in a field stage (pre FFR), and the rest of my squad assumed I had overloaded my mags when I didn't go to slidelock where everyone else did. It can be very smooth, fast and efficient at times. Sometimes not. In the scenario the OP describes, I'd do the RWR if it was more than 4-6 feet to the next shooting position. In dry fire, that's the distance I've found where the moving RWR pays off with my speed and consistency. Slicing the pie in IDPA usually gets your body extended in the opposite direction of the next shooting position, slowing your exit speed and giving you time to stow while getting moving. I normally start to stow the mag as I'm shifting my weight, just before my trailing foot leaves the ground on the way to the next position.

I made Master with a 5" 9 Pro, and prefer it to the 4.25 for the longer sight radius, slightly more manageable recoil, and increased power factor with the longer barrel. Mechanically, the 5" model is no more accurate than my 9C, but the longer sight radius allows more wiggle room in sight alignment at longer distances. For me, it takes more concentration and near perfect sight alignment to assure good hits at distance with the shorter gun. One third of the IDPA Classifer is at distances of 15-20 yards, and the 5" has an advantage here, IMO.

My 9c with an Apex DCAEK trigger shoots as accurately out to 25 yards as my 5" 9 Pro, and has been flawless with everything from 130PF match loads to +P carry ammo. I've won BUG matches with it, and will run it in CCP this year. It reloads and handles much better in stages and full speed drills than my Shield, and I prefer carrying the 9c whenever possible because of its higher capacity and ease of handling. The 9c has a rail for a light and accepts full-size mags, while the Shield does not. Reloading full-size mags (without X Grip) has not damaged my gun and does not pinch my hand like 12-round mags do. The X-grip adapter gives it a full-size grip with 17+1 capacity, adding to its versatility. The manual safety only blocks the trigger bar from moving, and seems a bit cheap in design. The ambi safeties add a lot of width to the gun. I never warmed up to the manual safety version, sold it, and later replaced it with a model without a safety after the HK P2000 SK fell short of my expectations. Overall, I think the 9c offers the best balance of function, capacity, reliability, shootability and concealability in the G26/9C/SK class of double stack carry pistols.

My 5" M&P 40 Pro for USPSA Limited built in 2013 for $1,250 Trigger: Apex AEK and RAM breaks at 2.75 lbs. Trigger bar loop adjusted for minimal over travel Sights: Factory Novak rear and Dawson .115 wide front. I prefer the lower profile of the fixed rear over the tall adjustable sights. Barrel: KKM 5", groups shrank from roughly 8" at 25 yds with factory barrel to 4"-6" with KKM Guide Rod/Spring: Tungsten GR and 15 -17 lb spring for 168 PF loads. Seems to group better with the 17 lb spring. Magwell: SSS Brass. Adds a few ounces, and I do notice some recoil mitigation despite the debate about it putting weight low on the frame. Basepads: Taran Tactical with their spring gets 20 reloadable with a slightly modified factory follower. Only get 19 reloadable with Taylor Freelance. Grip: Large backstrap with grip fully encased in grip tape. Lots of real estate to grab onto. Extras: Factory mag release, spare slide stop assembly and trigger return springs. I ran my M&P in Limited for about a year before upgrading to an STI Edge. Gotta say switching to the STI gave me more appreciation for the M&P, as its a very capable gun despite its shortcomings in accuracy and weight. After 3K rounds through the Edge, I'd estimate the switch moved me from roughly 70% to 75% in Classifier and match finishes.

Seems geared toward the G19 or smaller 1911s. HK45c loaded minor and the P30 (minus ambi slide stop to make width) are dark horses in this race. Expect to see some frankenguns sneak into local matches when folks figure out that a lot of compact uppers will fit on their full-sized SSP/ESP frames and still make dimensions.

CZ because it lacks a grip safety, has a wider mag opening, and the slide stop can more easily be manipulated with the strong hand thumb during slide lock reloads.

2,500 Round Update: Gun continues to run flawlessly with tuned and untuned mags. The oversized button on the Dawson Posi Lock mag release proved to be a liability running and gunning, so I removed the OS button. The sloppy support hand grip I could get away with on the M&P would cause mags to drop from the Edge. No functional issues in my first match with the CRP Edge. I finished one position ahead of where I normally finish, but did hit two no-shoots going a little too fast on some far targets. Didn't see significant improvement in my classifier score, but did have a decent run stone cold out of the gate. It felt like I had better control of the gun throughout the match compared to the M&P, and won't need to rely on luck as much as used to on distant targets. The tennis elbow I got from the M&P is starting to clear up.

I don't mind one complicated mind bender per match, but also want at least one stage that flows really well, a classifier and one total hose fest. Let's see who is well rounded.

Encasing the entire grip in grip tape added a little girth to mine. Had to use Shoe Goo to get it to stick the back strap, though.

Blade Tech for me. I used a Comp Tac paddle all last year, but could push the gun slightly out of battery when pushing down on the grip.

Did lots of dry fire to adapt to the Edge, and have not had any issues engaging the thumb safety. My best draws with the M&P were in the low .8 second range, and seem about the same with the Edge. My draws were a bit ugly at first as I adapted to the new grip and larger beaver tail. Dinged my hand up pretty good at first. I also installed an arched mainspring housing and Dawson die-cut grip tape to make the ergos more like my M&P's (large back strap and lots of grip tape). This improved the Edge's grip, but did require some minor filing on the Dawson arched MS housing to get it to fit under the ICE magwell. Dawson didn't offer me the enhanced package outright. I first asked the extent of function testing on the standard CRP to find out if they ran it hard before sending it out. I was told they only put a few rounds through the regular CRP to function test. I then asked about "super tuning" that I'd read about in a Benos thread, and mentioned tuned Edges offered through other vendors. The enhancement package was suggested to me for an additional $200 over the base CRP's cost. I really don't know the extent of what was done other than the recoil assembly and trigger job the tech described, but figured it was cheapish insurance.

Made the jump from a 5" M&P 40 Pro to an STI Edge, and thought I'd share the experience with those contemplating the switch. Picked up a Dawson CRP Edge in 40 S&W, and paid an extra $200 for what they call an enhancement package. I was told it included a trigger job and reliability work. The gun arrived with a 3.2 lb trigger, a one-piece guide rod, and what appears to be 14lb recoil spring. The recoil master and other factory parts were in the box. The gun ran flawlessly right out of the box with unturned and self-tuned mags with Blue Bullet and Berrys 180g loaded at lengths of 1.15 to 1.18. Not a single hiccup in the first 900 rounds, even after switching to a 12.5lb ismi recoil spring at 500 rounds. Accuracy is better with the Edge, but not a huge improvement over my 40 Pro with KKM barrel. I have no skills shooting from a rest, so my accuracy test involves keeping 10 rounds inside an 8" circle at 25 yards from a standing unsupported position. With the M&P, I typically have 8 or 9 shots in the circle in a shotgun pattern. With the Edge, 9 or 10 shots is the norm, with a central group of roughly 5 inches. Recoil control is where the Edge really outshines the M&P. My first few shots with the Edge were eye opening, as the recoil is significantly muted over the M&P. This did not translate to significantly lower splits, as I generally run 0.17 to 0.20 splits hosing with both guns. However, the control at that speed is significantly better with the heavier Edge. I had my first clean Bill Drill under 2.0 seconds with the Edge, a feat I could roughly match in speed but not accuracy with the M&P. My transitions are no slower with the heavier Edge, and the natural point of aim is very similar between the two guns. Factory STI magazines have run flawlessly in my gun. Feed lip dimensions were within spec, but I opened one up a bit because it was on the tight side. Self-tuned 140mm mags with Grams springs/followers and Dawson +1 basepads hold 20 rounds reloadable. I ground down the ribs on these mags and cut the tab off the Grams follower, and they don't jam up or lock the slide back when empty. Before trimming off the followers, the mags would lock back the slide with one round still in the magazine. I like my slide to lock back during practice so I'm not constantly dropping the slide on an empty chamber, so I have not modified my slide stop. STI followers lock the slide reliably in my practice mags. Overall, the Edge is a noticeable improvement over the M&P Pro. I don't expect it to take from a 70% B to a GM overnight, but its definitely a platform that will grow with me along the way.

SSP MA by match bump. Cherry picked a major match where most of the other Experts got there by bump instead of Classifier. ESP EX by Classifier.

As a SSP DM, Vogel was literally in a class by himself. Dividing his score by the SSP MA Class winner's score shows the MA winner only scored 78% of Vogel. Even Nils only scored 90% of Vogel running ESP. Rowdy, you scored 82% of the SSP Master Class winner and 64% of Vogel at a National Championship. I see no shame in that. As a freshly minted SSP MA from this match, I hope to see you at future matches. Cheers!

Yup, don't duck back behind cover during a reload. Keep a copy of the rulebook in your range bag with section 3.8.6 highlighted because alot of local SOs think you are supposed to duck back during a reload. I get this bogus call frequently. Along those lines, be proficient reloading from both sides of cover. Many lower level shooters will develop a stage plan to avoid reloading from their weak side to avoid an unsafe muzzle call. You should be practiced in keeping a safe muzzle direction reloading from both sides of cover so you don't have to give it any thought mid-stage. Reloading from the weak side of cover can be faster because an open-front cover garment tends to hang open from this position, lessening the time it takes to clear the garment when grabbing your magazine. I picked up a trick watching one of this board's Masters at NM last year. On stages with a single, easy target behind a wall in the middle of the stage, its faster to move through the position planting your foot behind cover, then sort of falling out of cover just after breaking the the shots. This maintains momentum toward the next position better than stopping and setting up for the shot, then trying to get moving again.

Set up barriers in dry fire and practice moving between them. Make the positions hard to get into and out of with awkward shots and extreme angles. Maintain a low stance to be quick getting out of position. If you stand too tall, you'll be slower to get moving. Identify foot positions where you can hit all targets in an array without shuffling your feet, and work on hitting those spots without hesitation. Have your gun up, ready and extended as you hit the position so you are ready to shoot the moment you are planted. Though frowned upon by the tactical crowd, gamers have figured out that arrays with widely spaced targets are often shot fastest by crowding cover and extending your gun past the barrier. This allows you to sweep across a wider spread of targets without taking a step or shuffling your feet. Whenever you take a step around cover, your gun drops slightly, slowing your transition speed and hurting the accuracy of your next shot. Narrowly spaced targets can often be hit from farther back without going all the way to the barrier wall, saving you time by moving less.

My first IDPA match was a Classifier in 2012 where I finished as a SSP Sharpshooter. My first field match was three weeks later, a major event where I won SSP Sharpshooter and got bumped to SSP Expert. Two years later, I'm running high Expert scores in SSP, and would be a Master if last year's standards were still in place. I practice like crazy, and have finished deep into the Masters locally and at larger events. I've resigned to the idea that I have to travel to more majors to get the bump to Master. I know of several Masters who never classified higher than EX, and at least one MA who never Classified higher than SS.

In with 6 points. The email I received said shooters with 6 points or less have the lowest priority when online registration opens.